Just Monika
by Jimmy Dean 4 the Beans
Summary: The foreign exchange student Brian McDonough doesn't love Monika. But he knows if he doesn't give her what she wants, she'll hurt the one he does. As the year progresses, it all comes to a head, and Monika will stop at nothing to have Brian all to herself...even if it means ruthlessly murdering an innocent girl. AU where Monika is just a damaged, possessive young woman/stalker.
1. Yuri Amachi

Brian sighed and stretched as he got off the plane. It was a long ride, almost eleven hours, but it was worth it. He was finally in Japan, where he would stay for the next year. He grabbed his backpack and headed deeper into the terminal, looking for baggage claim. As he read the signs, he felt mild pride swelling in his chest. He was a big fan of anime and manga, and had developed quite a large Japanese vocabulary. He was still getting used to speaking it, but was able to carry on a conversation well enough.

As he moved towards the baggage claim area, he sat on the bench and waited for his suitcase to come down the line. He glanced at his phone, checking the time. He had left at around noon in Seattle, and it was 2:00 A.M. in Japan. The airport was predictably deserted, by Japanese standards at least. Small crowds moved like schools of minnows towards their gates, hurrying to not miss their flight. He waited for a while more, still not seeing his bag.

He moved around to the other side, seeing but not noticing the man entering the airport through the revolving door. As he moved back around to the original side, he saw the man check the name on a suitcase, before grabbing it. His suitcase. Brian approached him, slightly irritated. As soon as the man saw him, however, his face immediately brightened into a smile.

As Brian drew closer, the man gave him a small bow. "Brian McDonough?" He asked inquisitively with the heavy accent of someone who had just recently learned a language. Brian immediately realized who the man was, and broke into a smile himself, returning the bow. "Mr. Amachi. I didn't realize you spoke English." He replied. The man scrunched his face and made a _meh_ gesture with his free hand. He was middle-aged, handsome with dark hair. He had the face of a patient man who smiled a lot. Brian immediately reached for his bag. "I can get that." He added. He smiled again as he relinquished the bag. "Some. My daughter is much better than I, and my wife speaks almost none." He chuckled.

Brian smiled again, but his mind was racing. He had never known Mr. and Mrs. Amachi had a daughter. He vaguely wondered what she looked like, and how old she was. As the two made their way out to the car, Brian deposited his suitcase in the back seat, before taking his place in the passenger seat. He smiled to himself as they pulled out on the 'wrong' side of the road. "So where are your wife and daughter?" He asked in Japanese, figuring it would be easier on the man. "Well," Mr. Amachi replied, "I thought it would be easier on everyone to just put then to bed before I came to get you." Brian nodded. "No need to drag them along." He agreed. They drove in comfortable silence for almost fifteen minutes before Mr. Amachi spoke next. "I will not lie. I am just as happy as you for this visit, for I have done it for my daughter's sake just as much as your own." Brian began to feel puzzled. "Why's that?" Mr. Amachi frowned for the first time since Brian had met him. "I feel she...is not happy. She has very few friends, dedicating herself almost entirely to books." Brian thought for a moment before replying. "What's so wrong with that? There's no harm in reading." Mr. Amachi nodded. "Perhaps not. However, Yuri has some...other passions that you may find disturbing. My hope is that you can show her that it is not healthy to be so introverted." Brian nodded, feeling a slight sense of unease. He was suddenly more nervous of this girl-Yuri-than he had been five minutes ago, where he was anticipating their meeting. Now he was feeling kind of apprehensive.

The car was silent until they reached Mr. Amachi's house, about 45 minutes from the airport. As the two exited the car, Brian quietly retrieved his suitcase from the back seat, and as they entered the house, Mr. Amachi moved to turn on the hall light, but Brian stopped him with a simple whispered, "It's fine, it's late and I don't want to disturb anyone. I'll sleep on the couch for the night." Mr. Amachi stopped for a moment, then nodded. He moved away, up the stairs. Brian looked around. The foyer was small, with a portal to the left that led to the kitchen and dining room, with a small linoleum counter separating the two. The living room was right off from there, with two entryways, one from the kitchen and the other directly in front of Brian. To his right was a small hallway with two doors on the right side and one door to the left before a staircase that led to the upstairs. He moved into the living room, and saw the couch against the far wall. He lay down, setting his bag beside him on the floor. The cool leather was comfortable, and he fell asleep quickly.

* * *

He woke up to sunlight streaming through the window into his face, causing him to blink and sit up suddenly. Glancing at his watch, he saw he had slept until almost 9. He yawned and stretched. Jet lag had never really bothered him too much, even since he was little. Besides, six hours, while not quite healthy, was certainly enough to function for one day. He swung his legs over the side of the couch, standing up. As he moved towards the kitchen, he saw everyone seated around the table. Mr. Amachi sat beside Mrs. Amachi, a tall woman with a kind face and a large smile the second she saw him. "Brian!" She immediately sprang up from the table and enveloped him in a hug, as if they were close relatives instead of total strangers.

He awkwardly hugged her back, seeing the third occupant of the table was a teenage girl, watching the exchange with a seemingly sad smile. She had a pretty, if shy, face and deep purple hair that cascaded around her shoulders well down her back. She was slim and well endowed, and Brian had to stop from staring. The second she saw Brian look at her, she looked away, out the window, her cheeks turning a healthy shade of vermillion. Mrs. Amachi sat back down, leaving the one remaining chair next to the girl. Brian took a seat, and her blush deepened, her lower lip disappearing into her mouth. Despite it being an unusually warm March morning, he noticed she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with what he assumed to be a stylized Illuminati symbol on the front. Brian couldn't help but sneak a few more glances at her throughout the meal. She was absolutely stunning, and couldn't be more than a year younger than him. As soon as she was finished, she took her plate and immediately went to the kitchen to deposit it in the dishwasher. When she stood up, Brian almost did a double take. She was nearly six feet tall, a full four inches above him. He immediately realized he was wrong, she was almost certainly the same age as he. She left the dining room and headed back down the hall, exiting with a strange mixture of grace and awkwardness. Mr. Amachi leaned across the table to Brian. "I'm sorry for her." He spoke lowly in Japanese. "Yuri is very shy, like I said last night." Brian nodded. "It's quite alright." He reassured the man. "I'm sure she'll come around eventually." Mr. Amachi nodded. "If you are finished, let me show you to your room." Brian nodded, standing up and taking his plate to the dishwasher like Yuri had. As he reached for the handle, Mrs. Amachi stopped him. "The dishes in there are clean." She said kindly. Brian remembered that the woman spoke almost no English, and replied, "Thank you for telling me." He placed it in the clean sink, wondering why Yuri had forgotten that fact.

He grabbed his suitcase from the living room floor and followed Mr. Amachi down the hall. He stopped by the first door on the right. "This is the restroom." He explained. "Me and my wife have another on our floor. Yuri's room is right across from the bathroom." He gestured to the closed door on the left. He moved further down the hall. As he indicated to the stairs, he said, "My wife and I have our room up there, as well as our offices and a study." Brian nodded, making a mental note to check out the study later. "And," Mr. Amachi said, pointing to the other room. "This is where you will be staying for the year. Feel free to decorate it as you please." He smiled warmly, and Brian smiled back. Just then, there was a call of "Kintaro?" from the other room. Mr. Amachi immediately disappeared to check on his wife, leaving Brian alone in the room. He immediately set about unpacking, moving his clothes into the spacious dresser in the corner of the room. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking before taking a stuffed tiger out of the suitcase and placing it on the bed where it wasn't easily visible. That tiger had never been any more than a few miles away at any given moment, and he had had it ever since he could remember. Although he didn't sleep with it anymore, he still loved it and felt like he would be judged for having it. After making sure the tiger couldn't be observed unless someone was looking for it, he began on the books. He had many, in both Japanese and English. He had an arrangement of books, mostly sci-fi or fantasy related, his favorites being the cult classic _Alien_ series printed in English. He placed them in the small cubby under the nightstand, and then straightened, proud of his work. Most of his suitcase was unpacked, with only a few toiletries left. Deciding to unpack them later, he moved the suitcase into the closet.

Just as he was emerging, he heard Mr. Amachi coming down the hall. He peered around the door and called out "Brian, me and Noriko need to go the store to pick up some things for dinner tonight. I thought we had more rice than we actually did." He chuckled weakly. "I presume you and Yuri will be alright for a few minutes?" Brian nodded. "Sure, go ahead." Mr. Amachi smiled warmly. "Excellent. We shouldn't be gone more than fifteen minutes." With that, he left the room, and a minute later, the door closed after the two of them.

Brian picked up a book, a hardcover copy of Stephen King's _Cell_ , he made his way out to the living room. To his surprise, Yuri was already there, lying on the couch, reading a book. She was totally absorbed, having not even realized Brian had entered the room. He decided to sit in the recliner in the corner of the room, the chair making a muffled sound as he sat down. Yuri's eyes never left the page, flying over the lines with great speed and intensity. Brian watched her for a moment more, before cracking open his own book. Despite all the sounds and motion beforehand, the sound of the well-read volume being opened was the thing that broke Yuri's focus. She flicked her eyes towards him for a split second, before her bottom lip vanished again. Her blush returned, and he could tell she was trying hard to get immersed again, with little success.

He finally set his book on his knee, marking his place. "I don't bite, relax." He told her softly. She pretended not to hear, although he could tell she was trying much too hard. "I'm Brian. Brian McDonough. Since you're your father's only daughter, I assume it's safe to say that you're Yuri?" She shot another glance his direction. "T-that's right." She said in perfect English, with almost no accent. Brian looked at her, surprised. "Your father was right. You do speak good English." She smiled quickly. "That's right. It's like a second language to me." Brian made a mental note, then carried on the conversation as casually as he could. "You've got a great house." She nodded. "Father's a lawyer, and mother used to be a florist. She lived in America for quite a few years, although she never learned much English." Brian nodded. "There's no crime in that. How's the school here?" She looked pensive. "It...well, it's good for the most part. The people are nice, and the education is good. I've enjoyed my time there very much." Brian smiled. "That's great. I'm sure we'll be in some classes together." He indicated to their books, then laughed. She smiled as well. "What have you got there?" She asked. Brian held up his book, then passed it to her, losing his page in the process. She held it in her hands, a large smile spreading over her face as she saw the cover and author. She finally handed it back, before saying, "I've read that one. I think it's just amazing how Stephen King is capable of capturing such feelings of primal dread and pure horror. It's almost as if he can tap into the human psyche and find just what each of us is afraid of at a deeper level. His work has been a massive inspiration for me in my writing, as well as that of Michael Crichton. Crichton is such a legend, I'm very sad that I'll never get to meet him in per-" She stopped, a horrified expression on her face. "I'm so sorry." She hid her face behind her hair, her cheeks burning. "I was rambling again, wasn't I?" Brian waved it off, silently noting how adorable she was when she was embarrassed. "I don't mind it one bit. It was actually really neat that you like horror too. Have you ever read creepypasta?" She shook her head. "I was never able to get into it, the stories were way too short." Brian nodded. "That's understandable. What're you reading there?" She held up the book. The picture on the front was the same as on her shirt. Underneath the eye it read _The Portrait of Markov._ Brian took it from her, looking at the back, which was blank. As he handed it back, he said, "I've never heard of it." She smiled sadly. "I didn't think you would. It's an uncommon book, and it's written by an author who has never received much fame." He nodded understandingly. "You said you liked to write..?"

* * *

When Mr. and Mrs. Amachi got home, they found Brian and Yuri sitting beside each other on the couch, discussing books and other literature. Mr. Amachi even saw a piece of scrap paper with Yuri's poems on it. He blinked. He had never, as long as he had known her, seen Yuri share anything that was on those papers with anyone. Then he looked at the two of them sitting together. Yuri looked happier than she had in years, and Brian was very animated in his gestures and movements, clearly excited about the material. Either Yuri hadn't noticed them, or she was too involved with Brian to care. At this point, Mr. Amachi was just happy to see her smiling about something besides, well, _that._


	2. Past, Present, and Knives

Brian and Yuri grew steadily closer as the week led up to school's beginning. They would sit together on the sofa, reading whatever they chose that day. Eventually, it escalated into them reading the same book together. Brian had been correct in his assumption, the study was huge and contained hundreds of books of nearly every type. In the end, however, Brian had taken to reading _The Portrait of Markov_ with Yuri, who hadn't objected to starting over. Brian had never felt this comfortable around another person, and especially not a girl. Yuri made it easy to connect. Most of the girls (and guys, for that matter) at school had never been into reading as much as he had. Now, Yuri was quite possibly the only person that was into reading even more than he was. At least, until he saw her room.

"Hey Brian." She spoke in English two days before school began, as they were finishing the eighth chapter of _Markov._ "Hm?" He responded, not looking up. "There's something I need to show you." She fidgeted with her hair. He looked up at her, seeing the soft red blush creeping up her turtleneck sweater. "Alright, what is it?" He closed the book and set it beside them. Yuri said nothing, just got up and moved down the hallway. Brian followed, feeling confused.

She opened the door to her room, and Brian was taken aback by what he saw. Yuri had several knives on a desk beside a computer, and more on a bookshelf, surrounded by hundreds of books. Yuri bit her lip and looked down. Brian did a full circle, taking in the room. Yuri had maybe twenty knives, ranging from small switchblades to butterfly knives to even an ornate Tanto knife on the computer desk, as well as a Kukri blade mounted on the wall.

He turned back to Yuri, who was bright red. "I-I just...well, I guess I just want you to know about all the different sides of me." She stammered, embarrassed. Brian smiled at her cuteness, even though the room was slightly offputting. "So, I guess you like knives, huh?" He joked. Yuri gave him a shy smile. "A bit." She sat on the bed. "My father was really into knives, and he wanted to make sure I knew how to use them." Brian hiked his thumb over his shoulder, indicating to the kitchen, where Mr. Amachi was currently. Yuri shook her head. "Kintaro's my stepfather. I guess I should tell you the whole story.

"When my mother lived in America, she met her first husband, a Japanese-American named Evan. He was a kind man, he loved my mother very much. When I was born, he taught me English, while my mother taught me Japanese. I inherited my mother's love of books, and my father's love of knives. He gave me my first one." She pulled it out of a small holster on her waistband, flicking the blade open as she did so. Brian sat beside her and took it in his hands. It was about seven inches long with the blade out, with a beautiful pattern of ocean waves on the handle, with a blade that shone blue in the sunlight filtering through the window. As he turned it over, he saw that the blue got lighter as it traveled the blade's length, beginning with a color similar to that of a rainy sky, and terminating in the color of the seashore. The handle itself was carved so delicately, the waves seemed to roll and churn when he moved it. The silver glinted as it hit the sun, almost blinding him for a moment. His finger hovered over the blade, then thought better of it. He passed it back to her. "Did your dad make that?" She nodded. "He started the second he found out my mother was pregnant. He didn't care if it was a boy or girl." She smiled sadly, a tear in the corner of her eye. "He gave it to me when I turned ten." She wiped the tear away. "He disappeared five years ago. My mother moved back to Japan and married Kintaro. He's nice, but he's a bit…" She stopped. "He worries too much about me." Brian looked at her again. She was biting her lip and tears were slowly creeping down her face. "I-I always keep this knife with me because it's the only part of him I have left anymore." She broke down freely, and started to sob quietly to not alert her parents. Brian immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. She cried into his shirt, her fists balled in the soft fabric. After about five minutes, she pulled away. "Thank you." She breathed, rubbing her eyes with her sleeves.

As she did so, however, her sleeve fell away, revealing a small line of scars on her arm. Brian's eyes immediately locked onto them, and Yuri froze the second she noticed. She pushed her sleeve back down, and Brian's eyes met hers. Brian saw fresh tears spring to her eyes, and she bit her lip again. They sat there for several seconds, before Yuri launched herself at Brian. He felt her shuddering as she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. He slowly put his arms around her, and she pulled away immediately when she felt it. Her eyes darted around the room like a caged animal, searching for something to focus on. "I'm so sorry," She began, before looking down at the bedsheet. "I don't know what came over me. It's just...ever since you've been here, I just felt connected to you. I know it sounds stupid and childish, but it's true. I've never felt this...comfortable, I guess, around anyone else." She wiped her eyes. "Nobody's ever seen...well, you know." She sank down onto the bed, hunched over. "You probably think I'm a psychopath now." Brian took a seat next to her. "I don't." She looked up at him, surprised, before slumping back down. "I'm sorry. I know it's sudden, but...I don't know." Brian picked up quickly. "Yuri, I don't mind it one bit." She looked back down. "You're just saying that…" "I'm actually not." He interrupted. "I feel the same way about you. It's hard for me to relate to other people, and you're the only person I've ever met that a bond has come so easily for." She shook her head silently. "That can't be true..." Yuri was cut off by Brian pulling her into another hug. Her arms twitched, not knowing what to do, before she wrapped them around his shoulders. As they split apart, Brian asked, "Do you believe me now?" She nodded. He then embraced her, and they sat together on the bed like that for a long time.

* * *

On the first day of school three days later, Yuri walked with Brian to school, where they were met with another girl on the way. She was about two inches taller than Brian, but shorter than Yuri by the same amount. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and her smile was dazzling and perfect. "Hi Yuri!" She said in English, with an British accent, which confused Brian to no end. Who was this girl, and why did she speak English, no less? Yuri waved shyly, as the girl locked her sparkling emerald eyes with Brian's chocolate brown ones. She practically bound over to him. "Hi! I'm Monika!" She said energetically. Brian broke her gaze, finding it too intense, and somehow too predatory, for his liking, finding a small crack on the sidewalk that had a tuft of grass growing from it. "Brian." He replied, a little uncomfortable. "Can I ask how you know English?" She let out a girly laugh. "My family immigrated from England. I also know Japanese and French. Yuri told me that she was getting a foreign exchange student, but she didn't say he was so cute." She giggled, and Brian saw Yuri's eyebrows shoot up, and stand up a little straighter as well as puff her chest out slightly. Monika saw none of this, as Yuri was completely forgotten behind her back, Brian occupying all of her focus. "Anyway, I have to go check in on the debate club before class starts. Caio!" She winked at Brian, before moving away hurriedly.

Brian glanced at Yuri, who still looked incredibly irritated. "Friend of yours?" He asked. She huffed and deflated. "She used to be." "Used to?" "Until about forty seconds ago, yes." Brian smiled. "Don't worry Yuri, I'm sure she's just being nice." "Mhm. I'm sure the fact that she packed her bra full of tissues for the first day of school is a coincidence too." He shrugged. "Maybe there's someone she's trying to impress." She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm sure."

 **I'm sorry for the short chapter, and I'm afraid I won't be posting anything for at least two months on account of me leaving for army basic training the day after tomorrow. This time, at least I have an excuse for not posting :p**


	3. Monika Minett

**~So I rewrote part of the second chapter, you may want to re-read that part, otherwise a scene later in this chapter won't make much sense. But, besides that, I'm back, and I'm really on a DDLC kick right now, I have no clue why. But here's Chapter 3 of Just Monika, who we all know is the best girl~**

The day went by quickly enough, and Brian found himself having a good time, despite only being in one class with Yuri. He did, however, have his last class with Monika. He glanced out the corner of his eye at her every now and again. She sat a few desks behind him at a diagonal, so he made it look like he was looking out of the window. Whenever he looked at her though, he noted that she never seemed to be paying attention to anything else that was happening except him. It was like her entire focus was on Brian. After three glances, he was convinced he could feel her eyes boring into the back of his head. It was incredibly unnerving, not to mention distracting. As the bell rang for dismissal, Brian grabbed his things and got out of the room as quickly as possible. He had no clue where Yuri was, she had promised to meet him in front of the school. However, he was still too slow, as Monika was standing outside the door, clearly waiting for someone, and Brian had a good idea who. He walked out, hoping she wouldn't say anything, but it was in vain.

"Hey Brian?" Her accent, once thought of by Brian as incredibly sexy, was now a source of dread. He turned, managing a handsome smirk and a "Yeah?", incredibly calm despite the sheer panic inside. There was something off about this girl, he could _feel_ it. She smiled and came closer. Brian wanted to run, but his legs were rooted to the spot. Yuri was right about her, she was being incredibly flirty, trying to exaggerate every movement of her slim waist and long legs. She began "So...Yuri told me you were into books." Brian relaxed a little, breathing an inward sigh of relief that this was what she wanted to talk about. "Yeah, something like that. Why, what's up?" He asked, playing it cool. "Well, Yuri and I and a few other girls were wondering if you'd like to be a part of the Literature Club with us!" Monika finished excitedly. Brian stood there, silent. Was this what she was being weird about? She wanted to see if he'd join her club? There was no harm in that. He smiled. "Sure, I'll come. When's the next meeting?" "Tomorrow, I can't wait to see you there!" She smiled and turned to walk away.

He met Yuri outside, on her phone. She looked up when he approached, clearly worried at what took him so long. He smiled at her. "I saw Monika." Her face darkened. "What did she want?" Brian noted her sudden mood swing. "She asked me to come to the literature club meetings." Yuri's face fell. "Oh. That's alright, I suppose." "Is something wrong?" Brian questioned. "No, it's just that I wanted the literature club to be something that I told you about. It was going to be a surprise." He smiled at her. "It's alright Yuri. I am surprised, and can't wait to see it." She returned the smile shyly. He could tell she was beginning to really like having him around. He reached out and touched her hand gently. "Come on, let's head home, I want to see what happens in chapter thirteen." Her smile widened, and the two walked off campus together.

* * *

Across the courtyard, still filled with mingling students, Monika's eyes narrowed. Yuri was an annoyance at least, and a threat to her and Brian at worst. She smiled warmly at the pictures she had snapped of him on her phone, both during class and just now. He was so handsome, with his chocolate brown hair and matching eyes-god, how beautiful his eyes were-and that smirk of his. She adjusted her chest. The tissues had made her breasts appear almost a full cup size bigger, on par with Yuri's, but damn if they weren't uncomfortable. She slipped her phone back in her handbag, beginning her walk home, humming an upbeat tune to herself. She was going to write him a song.

* * *

Brian confronted Yuri later that night, after dinner. "Yuri, can I talk to you a bit?" She looked up from the book she had been reading, her eyes growing wide for a moment, her cheeks turning a healthy shade of pink as they always did when he spoke to her. "Uh...yeah, of course." She followed him into the hall, into his room. He sat on the bed, and she stood awkwardly in front of him. He looked at her, and she hid behind her hair, playing with her hands and biting her lip. He sighed. "It's nothing bad, I promise." She continued her fidgeting. "It's...well, it's about Monika." Yuri huffed. "What's wrong with her? Whenever I say her name or mention her, you get triggered. What's the deal?"

Yuri sighed, sitting beside him, nervousness gone, replaced by irritation. "Me and Monika Minett...we're friends, but we don't see eye-to-eye all the time." She began. "We met when she first started the literature club last year. Me and her, I guess you could say we were the founders." She paused a little, and Brian nodded for her to go on. "She's always been the opposite of me, popular, all the boys want her, outgoing, friendly. She was captain of the volleyball team, she's done softball and track and just…" She sighed. "She has everything she could ever want. She's so much better than m-"

Brian cut her off. "That's not true." She looked at him, her violet eyes connecting with his brown ones. "Brian, I appreciate you, I really do, but I don't think you understand. I've never played sports, I've never had anyone really notice me, I've never even had a boyfriend." Brian sat, digesting this for a second. "Would you like one?" Yuri looked at him, shock playing across her face. "W-what?" Brian moved his hand over hers. "Do you want me to be your boyfriend, Yuri?" Her lip disappeared again. "Brian, I…" She sighed. "I don't want you to pity me." Brian shook his head. "It's not pity, Yuri. I'm genuinely asking. I love every second I'm with you. It's just like I said a few days ago, I don't feel this way around anyone else." She was now blushing to the point where her face almost matched her hair. "But...but what about Monika? You know she was putting the moves on you today." Brian shrugged. "Monika kind of gives me the creeps, honestly." Yuri giggled cutely. Brian went to move his hand away in defeat, but Yuri grabbed it. He looked down at her fingers entwined with his, confused. "I'd love for you to be my boyfriend, Brian." She said, giving him a small, shy smile leaning forward slightly. He smiled back, inching his face towards hers as well. With his free hand, he cupped her face. "You're so beautiful…" was all he said, as their lips connected.

Yuri had obviously never been kissed, and Brian-although he would never admit it-hadn't either. Their first kiss was just that, a kiss in the simplest form, just their lips touching. So was their second, and third. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?" Yuri asked as they pulled away from their third kiss. Brian's answer was simple, "How could anyone not." Brian traced her cheekbone with his thumb. "You're gorgeous." She giggled, ducking her head. The two embraced then, and as her head rested on his shoulder, she whispered into his ear. "Is this love?" He replied after a moment. "If this isn't, than I don't know what is."

* * *

Monika sat at her piano, playing a piece she'd been practicing ever since she got home.

Her mother was nowhere to be found, probably on the street corner, or in some stupid club. Her father was dead, he had been for years. Mum hadn't taken it well, resorting to screwing anyone with a pulse and abusing whatever medication she could get her hands on. Monika had seen her mother fall from the smart, beautiful woman she had once been, taking it as a cautionary tale. She'd become largely self-reliant, and had taken up any sport or club she could to get her out of the house. She'd blossomed into the woman her father would have wanted her to be, while her mother had fallen from grace in a tailspin, quite the opposite.

She took a break from the piano, opting instead to gaze longingly at the picture on her phone. It was her favorite, taken when he was looking in her direction after school. He had that half-smirk that she had already fallen in love with, and his dark chocolate eyes were so deep that she felt she could drown in them. God, she loved him and wished he was here with her. Deep down, she felt resentment for her mother being absent for the majority of the recent years. Monika couldn't volunteer herself for the foreign exchange program, and if her mother had, Brian would be staying with her now.

She admitted to herself that it had been a bit of a gamble, and she had no clue what Brian looked like before today. To be brutally honest, she just wasn't into the Japanese boys that she knew drooled over her. But now that she knew Brian was as handsome as he was, she was mentally furious at her mother. As she looked at the picture a little more though, she felt a sensation that she hadn't felt in ages building in her core and manifesting between her legs, and she bit her lip, grabbing her phone with the pictures of Brian, heading towards the bathroom.

* * *

Yuri fell asleep on Brian's shoulder that night while they were reading the fifteenth chapter of _Markov._ He felt her slump over onto him, her head resting on his shoulder. He smiled at her cute behavior, it growing into a chuckle as he felt a small wet spot from approximately where her mouth would be on his shoulder growing. He marked their spot in the book, setting it down, careful not to disturb Yuri. He then got up as carefully as he could, noting the time. 10:47. Mr. and Mrs. Amachi would have gone to bed a few minutes ago, and he didn't want to disturb them. Moving carefully, he placed his hand into the pit of her knee, and the other onto her neck. He wasn't a particularly strong individual, but Yuri wasn't a particularly heavy individual, despite her size. He was able to get her a few steps before he felt her stir. She didn't open her eyes, just wrapped her arm around his shoulders and tucked her head into his chest, making her significantly less awkward to carry.

He made it to her bedroom, and laid her down on her bed, carefully tucking her in. "Goodnight, Yuri." He said, and she snuggled into the bed in her sleep, smiling smally. Brian made his way into his own room, getting ready for and into bed. Little did he know what he had coming the next day.


	4. Natsuki Isamu

The next day started as it always did. Brian woke up at around 7:00, getting up and dragging himself to his and Yuri's shower. Yuri woke up a little earlier, possibly even more groggy than Brian even after a shower and breakfast. She showered before him, and was usually in her bedroom getting dressed by the time he made his way to the shower. Brian understood her plight, suffering as well. They were both night owls, preferring to sleep in. As he got out of the shower, he moved to get dressed. Afterwards, he went to the kitchen to get breakfast.

Yuri had beaten him to it, already pouring a bowl of cereal for him. She had a book propped up with one hand, eating her cereal with the other. She didn't look up when Brian walked in, being in her trancelike state of reading. Brian sat next to her, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. Yuri nearly dropped the book, fumbling with it and blushing furiously. She looked over at him once she had regained her composure. "It's so weird to think that we're together now." She said with a smile. "I'm so used to you being around at this point, and I'm still not used to being kissed."

As the two finished their breakfast, they began their walk to school. At this point, it was 8:00. School didn't begin until 8:45, so they had plenty of time. As they walked side by side, Yuri on the right and Brian on the left, their hands brushed together a few times. Brian saw Yuri bite her lip, scared to take the initiative. So that's what he did instead. He held on the next time their hands touched, intertwining their fingers. Yuri looked down at their holding hands and blushed even harder. Brian wondered how she stayed upright, with all that blood constantly going to her face.

* * *

Monika was waiting for him, pretending to talk with her other two friends, Sayori Kaetsu and Natsuki Isamu, when her attention was really focused on finding Brian. When she finally did, her eyebrows shot up. He was holding hands with Yuri. Unacceptable. She frowned. The purple-haired succubus must have gotten to him before she could. She'd have to do something drastic today.

* * *

Brian and Yuri made it to school with time to spare, so they found an unoccupied bench in the courtyard of the school and began reading. Yuri didn't remember where she had left off the night prior, and had no objections about restarting the chapter. As the bell rang for class, Brian gave Yuri a quick kiss on the cheek before they went their separate ways. The day progressed normally, with Brian seeing Yuri later in the day, and finally came last period with Monika. She wasn't staring at him anymore, much to his relief. It must have just been yesterday about the club.

After the class had ended, Monika was again waiting for Brian outside of the classroom. "You ready to see the club?" She asked excitedly. Brian nodded, feeling more comfortable around Monika now that she wasn't acting freaky. She took him to the empty classroom that they used, and upon opening the door, they found it to be completely empty. "Don't worry about it, sometimes it takes the others a little longer to get here." Monika said. "Just have a seat and make yourself comfortable while I get some stuff out of the supply closet." Brian did as told, taking a seat on one of the desks, while Monika rummaged in the closet. He looked at his phone, browsing through his Facebook. When he looked up again, Monika was still in the closet, bending at the waist. The short school skirt did little to cover her, and Brian caught a glimpse of her panties. He shook his head at Monika, and went back to his phone.

Just as he did, a text from Yuri flashed on the screen _"Where are you?"_ It read. Brian threw another glance at Monika, still bending over, clearly trying too hard at this point. _"I'm at the Literature Club with Monika."_ He texted back, then a moment later _"She said that the other members might be slow getting here."_ A minute passed. _"We don't have Literature Club meetings on Tuesdays."_ Brian looked up at Monika, opening his mouth to say something, only to find her a mere foot from where he was sitting, smiling. He jumped back, off the desk, into the aisle. Her smile simply widened. "So, Brian." She began sweetly. Brian was unnerved to say the least. "What's going on with you and Yuri?" Brian attempted to find his voice. "W-why do you care?" She giggled. "Because, maybe I want you." Brian was now more confused than scared. "But...but you don't even know me." She stopped. Her smile widened even more, if that was even possible. "That's where you're wrong."

* * *

Yuri raced back into the school as fast as she could, almost falling over another girl, who squealed. "Hey, what's wrong with-Yuri?" Yuri stopped and turned around, looking at whoever it was. Natsuki Isamu. Wonderful, just what she needed. Her polar opposite, Short, loud, and always looking for a fight, Natsuki was a fellow patron of the Literature Club. Natsuki and Yuri had never clicked right from the moment they met, and their constant rivalry had caused brief concern from both Monika and Sayori, before they realized it was largely harmless. Sure, they both said some pretty nasty things to each other sometimes, but it never really mattered at the end of the day. Now, she realized that Natsuki's combative nature could be very helpful in this instance. "Natsuki, I need your help." The younger girl looked confused as to why her most bitter rival in school was asking for her. "What gives, Yuri?" Yuri shook her head. "There's no time right now, I'll explain on the way."

* * *

Brian had his back against the wall, and Monika was still advancing closer. "I saw you two this morning. I can't see why you like her, she's just a nerdy bookworm that cuts herself to get off." Brian glared at her. "I know she cuts herself, and it doesn't bother me. At least I know that she's not a total freak." Monika looked genuinely hurt. "You...you think I'm a freak?" Brian felt a pang of guilt. Monika may have been a crazy stalker, but she still believed she was in love. "Monika, look" he began. "It's not that you aren't pretty, because you are. I just _don't know you._ Besides, I'm already in a relationship with Yuri. I really like her, and I don't want to end that now. Listen, Monika. If you want to hang out a little first, I'd be happy to get to know you. And then, if anything happens between me and Yuri, I'd be happy to go to you." Brian was stalling and he felt like Monika knew it too. He was desperately trying to figure out something to do, but Monika had him cornered, literally, and she was getting closer.

* * *

Yuri and Natsuki rushed through the halls, drawing nearer to the empty classroom, Yuri with slightly more desperation than Natsuki, although the latter still displaying a healthy amount of concern. Yuri might not have been her best friend, but something serious was going on. At last they reached the door, Yuri reaching it first. Throwing it open, she and Natsuki charged into the room, finding Brian in the corner of the room, with Monika holding him in a liplock that made even Natsuki blush. Brian was visibly fighting it, and Monika, upon hearing the door, swung her head around to look at the two other girls. "You!" She hissed upon seeing Yuri. Natsuki glanced between Yuri and Monika, clearly confused. The only sound in the room for a few moments was Brian gasping for air. Finally, Yuri broke the silence. "Why, Monika?" Tears were brimming in her eyes. Monika grinned evilly. "Because I deserve him more than you." Yuri's mouth fell open in shock. Natsuki opened her mouth to say something, closed it. The room was again still. Then, Yuri rushed out past Natsuki, who watched her go for a moment, then gave Monika an evil look and chased after her.

Monika turned back to Brian. "Mm, alone again at last." Brian willed himself out of the room. No luck. "Listen to me, and listen good." Monika said, malice creeping into her voice. "You tell that edgy bitch that you're done with her. If you don't, well…" Monika backed away a little. "Yuri is going to have an unfortunate accident. Maybe several. Best case scenario," She shrugged flippantly. "She's in a hospital for the rest of her life, however long that may be. Worst case…" She giggled. "Well, I'm sure you can imagine."

* * *

Natsuki chased Yuri into the bathroom, where she sat in a stall, crying. Natsuki stopped. She had no clue how to deal with this. Fifteen minutes ago, her most pressing thought was to get home and try to escape into the kitchen, or perhaps her room to read some manga. Now she had to deal with her frenemy crying her eyes out in the bathroom after seeing Monika stealing her man. Today was proving to be interesting after all. She went in the stall next to Yuri. "Hey Yuri," She began awkwardly. "I'm really sorry." She hadn't said those words in so long, they felt alien to her. "J-just go away." Yuri sobbed. Natsuki seriously considered it for a second, but her conscious got the better of her. "I'm not going anywhere until I know you're okay." Natsuki said with a great deal of restraint. "Why?" Yuri sounded confused. "I thought you hated me like everyone else." Natsuki gritted her teeth, having hoped she wouldn't say something like that. "Because deep down I care about you, and I want to make sure you're okay, damnit!" She snapped quietly. Yuri stopped crying. "R-really?" Natsuki sighed. "Yes, Yuri." Yuri sniffled in the stall. "Look," She started again. "I've never told anyone this before, so don't go blabbing, okay?" Yuri's response was a quiet "O-okay." She slumped on the toilet, running her hand through her shoulder-length pink hair. "I hate fighting with people, especially you, Yuri."

"The reason I'm like the way I am, it's...well, it's because of my dad. You want to know why I'm so short?" She gave a humorless chuckle. "It's because I eat one meal a day, maybe, if I'm lucky. He's a complete asshole, he's never given me any money for lunch, or breakfast either. He hits me sometimes too, if I mess up dinner. I guess I take it out on you." She sighed. "I'm really sorry Yuri, and I hope you can forgive me for all the awful things I said to you." A minute passed. Natsuki was about to get up and leave Yuri to her own devices, when she said quietly, "I forgive you, Natsuki. I'm so sorry." Natsuki shrugged, then remembered Yuri couldn't see it. "It's whatever, you can't change my dad. After what I just saw, I'm the one that should be saying sorry." She heard Yuri start sniffling again. "I know...I know it's not him. He tucked me in bed last night, for god's sake. It's _her._ " Yuri said it with so much hatefulness that it gave Natsuki pause. "She's _forcing_ herself on him, and he has no clue what to do, and neither do I, for that matter." Natsuki sighed. "I guess jumping her is out of the question." She muttered, mostly to herself.


	5. The Plan

Monika had left, but not after giving Brian another quick kiss, and handing him her number. "Call me." She whispered in his ear, before she had strutted out. He stood there for a few more minutes, finally moving to the door. Poking his head out, he scanned the hallway. She was nowhere in sight. He started down the hall, calling out Yuri's name. He had no clue who the pink haired girl was, but she assumed by the way she tore after Yuri and the look she gave Monika she was a friend. Natsuki heard the guy calling out Yuri's name, and she moved into the hall, telling Yuri to stay put. As she moved into the hall, she leaned against the wall, waiting for him to run across her. He rounded the corner a few moments later, seeing her. He said something, but she had no clue what it was, and she raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, you don't speak English, do you?" He asked in Japanese as he moved closer. "Don't speak it, don't understand it." She said. "I'm sorry. Is Yuri with you?" He asked. She nodded. "She's in the bathroom." As she finished, Yuri emerged from the restroom, wiping her eyes. She looked like a mess, her eyes red and puffy, and her hair was disheveled. She looked at Brian for a moment, before breaking down again. Brian rushed to her, grabbing the taller girl in a tight hug that she returned, sobbing into the top of his head. Natsuki stood there somewhat awkwardly, not really knowing what to do.

Finally, after what felt like an hour, but was probably only ten minutes, Yuri settled down to the point where she could talk. "Brian…" She whimpered. He shushed her. "You're okay, she didn't do anything. I'm alright, see?" He pulled back a little, letting her see him. She nodded, and he hugged her again. "I love you Yuri." He told her. She relaxed a little bit, and looked at Natsuki, who was about to leave, convinced that she was no longer needed. "Natsuki, wait." Yuri called after her. Natsuki turned, looking at her. "Brian, this is Natsuki." She said, having regained some of her composure. Natsuki gave an awkward little wave as Brian untangled himself from Yuri. "Nice to meet you." He said in Japanese. "I'm not normally this exciting, I apologize." Natsuki chuckled. "It's fine. I prefer the excitement, actually." He smiled. "Thank you for helping Yuri, I'm sorry you got dragged into this though." She shrugged. "It's not like I have anything better to do, but I have to get home." Yuri nodded understandingly. As Natsuki left, Brian looked at Yuri. "We should get home too, I honestly just want to lay down." Yuri nodded. "Me too."

* * *

They didn't say a word to each other until once they had gotten home. Brian went straight to his room, laying down on the bed. He ran his hand through his messy hair. He had no clue what to do now. He didn't know if Monika was bluffing, or if she really was capable of hurting Yuri. She was fully willing, he had no doubt about that, but the extent of her power to harm and destroy was still an unknown to him. And to be perfectly honest, if Yuri's safety was on the line, he didn't really want to find out.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Yuri come in. His back was to the door, so he didn't realize she was even there until she sat down on the bed. She had abandoned the gray blazer and blue skirt, opting instead for a nightshirt that hung down to mid-thigh. It made Yuri's significant size and proportions seem smaller, and Brian almost forgot she was a good four inches taller than him for a moment. The sleeves were short, and Brian winced when he saw her arms. They were covered in dozens of scars of varying length and thickness, including a few that were still scabbed over, and some that were still open, clearly inflicted within the past hour. He sat up, and he saw her look down. He hugged her again, and she started weeping silently into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Yuri" He breathed. "I never meant to cause you any pain, I jus-" "It's not your f-fault." Yuri said, her head still pressed against him. "I...I know it was her. You couldn't have known about the club." Brian sighed. "I guess. Why aren't you mad at me? I mean, you literally walked in on us making out. Or, more accurately, her making out with me." "Be-because I know you wouldn't do that to me. I...I trust you, Brian. I believe you when you say you love me. You tucked me into bed last night, for god's sake. I don't expect you to turn around and...and stab me in the back like that." Yuri kissed the top of his head. He shifted uncomfortably. "Yuri, Monika said something to me while she had me alone." Yuri was silent. "She said that I needed to stop seeing you, or else something bad would happen to you. She didn't say what." Yuri was silent for another moment, before bravely saying "I don't care what she tries." He frowned. "Yeah, but I kind of do. I don't want anything else to happen to you." Yuri frowned, curling up in a ball beside Brian. "How about this," He began. "We act like we aren't together at school, and when we get home we can be like this, spending time with each other." Yuri sighed. "I know you don't want to, but I'm trying to keep you safe. Please, Yuri?" There was a long silence. "I...I guess." Yuri finally said simply.

There was another silence. "Would you like me to go get us a book?" Brian offered helpfully. "No thanks." Yuri responded. "I just want to lay here for a while, if that's okay with you." She rolled over so she was facing him, the nightshirt falling limply around her slim frame. She buried her head into his chest, and wrapped her damaged arms around him. He pushed away, getting up. "I'm going to be right back, I have to grab something really quick." He said. She nodded, too exhausted from the day's events to protest. He was back a minute later, laying back down next to her. In his hands he held some bandages and disinfectant he had found in the bathroom. He put a tiny bit of the disinfectant on a small square of bandage he tore away from the main roll. He gingerly touched it to the open cuts on her arms, before rolling a strip of bandage around each one. Tears continued to fall sideways onto the sheets. "I don't deserve you." Yuri whimpered softly. "That's not true." Brian said back, pulling Yuri to his chest. They laid like that for a long time.

* * *

Brian woke up to moonlight streaming through the window, casting long shadows on the floor. Yuri was still asleep beside him, snuggled into the bed. The window was open, and the room was drafty. Seeing how little Yuri had on, Brian grabbed the blanket and threw it over the two of them. He remembered the note he still had in his pocket, and he got up as quietly as he could, careful not to disturb the sleeping girl next to him. As he moved into the bathroom, he took Monika's number out of his pocket. He got his phone and checked the time. 11:27. He guessed she was still awake, and even if she wasn't, she wouldn't object to a call from him. He dialed the number with shaking fingers, nervousness and fear fueling his actions. Monika picked up on the second ring. "Hello?" Brain asked nervously. "Brian!" She sounded ecstatic on the other end. "I almost thought you weren't going to call. I'm so glad you did though, did you do it?" He sighed. "Yes, I did. Now please leave her alone." She giggled. "Don't worry, I'm not going to touch her unless I absolutely have to. Now, I've been thinking about a date…" He couldn't believe her. She was totally crazy. He listened to her date ideas for a few minutes. He then quietly interrupted. "Uh, Monika? It's late and I'm tired. Is it okay if we talk about this more tomorrow?" She stopped. "Of course. Sleep well Brian, I love you." Brian felt ill as he repeated those words back to her. He returned to bed, Yuri stirring in his absence, feeling around for him in her sleep. She had instead found Brian's stuffed tiger, and lay there cuddling with the toy. He stood in the doorway, just gazing at her. Her purple hair fanned out around her, and he marveled at just how beautiful she was when she slept. He sighed, realizing he was still in his school uniform. He sighed, stripping off the jacket and top. Glancing at Yuri to make sure she was still asleep, the pants followed. He got a pair of pajama pants out of the dresser, careful not to make too much noise. Putting them and a white undershirt on, he crawled back into bed with Yuri. She seemed to sense him, moving closer and resting her head on the pillow with him. He kissed her forehead, and after watching her side rise and fall for a few minutes, he fell into a deep, restless sleep.

* * *

In her room, Monika lounged on the bed. She was wearing her usual sleeping attire, a T-shirt a size too large and shorts. She was restless. She didn't know what to do with herself. A small part of her said that she needed sleep, like Brian had said, but she was a straight-A student, a sleepless night wouldn't hurt her. She was glad she didn't have to do anything to Yuri. She still liked the girl to an extent, the two had been friends for quite a while. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but she certainly would if she had to. She had no qualms about taking what was rightfully hers. That small part of herself called her a name. _Sociopath._ She ignored it. The world owed her for taking Dad, and to a certain degree, Mum with him. She was just collecting. Taking what she deserved. There was no crime in that. None at all.

She glanced at her phone again, setting it down on the pillow next to her. It had a picture of Brian as the wallpaper, of course. She couldn't wait to see him tomorrow, to hold his hand and kiss him in front of Yuri. She'd show her for trying to put the moves on her Brian. It was almost like when she was younger, when her family had celebrated Christmas together. Always on Christmas Eve, she could never sleep. The mixture of nerves and giddyness kept her awake throughout the night. Finally, at about 1:30, Monika Minett fell asleep, the phone still lit on the pillow beside her.

 **~I'm curious to know what you guys think. Am I writing the crazy well? I've had more fun making Monika's dialogue and thought process than I've ever had with a character before, and she's a big reason this fic is getting updated so quickly, because I can't wait to get back to writing her. I actually discovered last night, that upon reading my own work out loud, I now have a smoldering hatred for Monika (In the story at least, she's still my Waifu), so I think I'm doing something right.~**


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